Wings For Life World Run
Wings for Life Ambassador and double GB Paralympian Sean Rose is looking forward to raising awareness for the Wings for Life World Run, an event supported by Red Bull, at Cambridge United's Sky Bet League Two clash with Oxford United on Monday 28th March.The U's recently partnered with Red Bull to offer the Amber Army the opportunity to represent the club in the Wings For Life World Run which takes place across the globe including right here in Cambridge on Sunday 8th May.
Runners and wheelchair participants in 34 locations worldwide start at exactly the same time and run for as long as they can. There is no finish line, a Catcher Car will start the chase 30 minutes after the race starts and speed up slowly until everyone is over taken and eliminated.
Thousands of participants have entered the race and the U's have also signed up with supporters, sponsors and club partners alike invited to join the team, with 100% of entry fees donated to Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation.
Wings for Life Ambassador, Sean Rose will be attending the U's Sky Bet League Two fixture against Oxford United at the Abbey Stadium on Monday, to spread the message for both the run and its worthy cause.
He said: "The run is an annual event which is a major fundraiser for the charity Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation.
"In the last two years the official UK location has been at the iconic Silverstone racetrack, and the event globally has welcomed over 100,000 global racers. It has been an enjoyable event not only to help raise money, but also for people to take part in a new fresh concept.
"In terms of my involvement, I was injured in a skiing accident in February 2000 teaching a group of pilots before breaking my back. I was one of the fortunate ones in that my level meant I had a lack of core stability but I still have my arms, shoulders and everything else.
"Some people who get a higher level of neck injury are not that fortunate, which can include limited arm moment or no movement at all from the neck down. They are the people that I am running for, and the charity is aimed at so that we can give them a better standard of daily living."
He continued: "I was lucky and set myself some goals; I wanted to become the best in the world at water skiing and skiing, something I achieved over seven or eight years. I have raced at two Paralympics skiing for Great Britain and was GB number one for seven years which has been an incredible journey.
"That gave me a drive to get up in the morning and that is what the Wings for Life World Run is about as well, getting other people to have that focus in the right places."
Commenting on the Wings for Life World Run coming to Cambridge in May, Sean added: "Moving the race from Silverstone to a place like Cambridge is going to really step up the event as a whole.
"Hosting it in a beautiful city like Cambridge, which is obviously so historic, will open the eyes of the thousands of people that are going to be there. I think it would be a missed opportunity for supporters if they weren't to get involved and see what it is all about."
Sean along with representatives from Wings for Life and Red Bull will be in attendance at Monday's bank holiday clash with Oxford, with a special half time activity set to take place to give Cambridge United supporters a taste of what to expect from the Wings for Life World Run.